Iranian forces seize two ships in strait of Hormuz amid doubts over further peace talks with US

Standoff between Iran and US continues as both impose blockades of critical shipping waterway

Iranian forces have seized two ships in the strait of Hormuz, as the US and Iran doubled down on imposing separate blockades of the critical shipping waterway that have choked global energy markets.

The standoff over the narrow waterway – through which about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed through during peacetime – raised doubts about whether stalled peace negotiations would resume.